Tulum "Wall or Fence"

Tulum Travel Blog

Tulum "Wall or Fence" a fortified Maya site was originally named Zama "City of
Dawn". Located on Highway 307 about 30 miles south of Playa de Carmen. It sits
at the edge of a limestone cliff high about the Caribbean. It is walled on the
other 3 sides.

The architecture of Tulum is typical of the east coast of
the Yucatan Peninsula. Structures of the architecture usually have a step
running around the base that sits on a low substructure of platform. Doorways
are usually narrow and columns would be present for support if the building was
massive or had multiple levels. The exterior wall are typically plain with one
or bands of molding at the top.

Tulum

Each room usually has one or two small windows
with an altar against the back wall. The roof can be either a wooden beam and
rubble with a flat ceiling or an all stone Maya vaulted ceiling. This type of
architecture resembles some of the structures at nearby Chichen Itza just on a
much smaller scale.

Some archaeologist suggest that Tulum was dedicated
to the Diving or Descending God. There are numerous example of images of this
god in the stone carvings and murals of Tulum.

Things not to miss are
the defensive wall, Temple of the Frescoes, niched figures of the Maya “diving
god”, the Temple of the Diving God, the Castillo and the landing beach.

Tulum is located at the seaward edge of a tall, steep limestone cliff
and is protected on the landward side by a defensive wall that varies from about
10 feet to 16 feet in height and 24 feet thick.

Tulum

The wall parallel to the sea is
about 1,300 feet long with the 2 side portions about 550 feet long. On the
southwest and northwest corners there are small structures that have been
identified as watch towers. There are a total of five narrow gateways through
the wall, with two each through the north and south walls and one through the
west wall. This wall is massive. The total volume of material is more than
27,700 cubic yards. This is a considerable expenditure of man hours and
materials. Defense of Tulum must have been a primary concern. Located within the
defensive wall in the northern portion of the site is a small cenote that could
have provided the city with fresh water. It is this impressive well engineered
defensive wall that makes Tulum one the most well known fortified sites of the
Maya world.

Tulum

The Temple of the Frescoes is the central platform of the
ceremonial precinct and is one of the more spectacular structures at Tulum. This
structure has both an upper and lower galleries. The lower gallery contain 13th
century Maya murals that depict both the rain god Chaac and Ixchel, the goddess
of women, the moon, weaving and medicine. Entry is no longer permitted. The west
facade has a frieze with 3 niches. In the center niche is a carved stucco
sculpture of the Diving or Descending God and in the other 2 niches are carved
stucco seated figures with tall elaborate Maya style headdresses. Between the
niches is a human figure intertwining with a serpent. The cornice of this
structure depicts the head of Chaac in relief.

The Castillo is the
tallest structure at Tulum at 24 feet in height.

Tulum

The Castillo is the largest
structure in the eastern complex. The Castillo was built on a previous building
that was a colonnade in design with a beam, rubble and mortar roof. There is a
small raised platform that appears to have been used as a beacon fire for
incoming sea traffic. This platform beacon actually marks a break in the barrier
reef just offshore from Tulum. At the water level just below the cliff that
supports Tulum is a cove that is ideal for landing small vessels.

Coastal and land routes converged at Tulum which is well documented in
the artifacts found in or near Tulum. These artifacts include manufacture copper
objects and obsidian from the Mexican highlands, obsidian from Ixtepeque in
northern Guatemala, gold manufactured objects from Panama and Oaxaca ,
Mexico,jade from Guatemala, and a wide variety of ceramic objects from all over
the Yucatán.

Tulum

It may have been one of these seafaring canoes that
Christopher Columbus first encountered off the shores of the Bay Islands of
Honduras.

There is little to no parking at the site of Tulum. It is
typically necessary to park your vehicle at the shopping center for a 30 peso
fee.

The city was first mentioned by Juan Díaz, part
of Juan de Grijalva's expedition of 1518. The first detailed description of the
ruins was published by John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood in 1843 in
the book Incidents of Travel in Yucatan. Work conducted at Tulum continued with
Sylvanus Morley and George P. Howe beginning in 1913. The work was continued by
the Carnegie Institution from 1916 to 1922, Samuel Lothrop in 1924 who also
mapped the site, Miguel Angel Fernandez in the late 1930's and early 1940's,
William Sanders in 1955, and then later in the 1970's by Arthur Miller.